Live From The Creek

Every year about this time, a few of us from The Creek, set out on an educational journey to the annual America's Choice National Conference to share ideas and network with other educators from across our nation. The conference location alternates from West Coast to East Coast and this year the destination is Hollywood, California from Jan 30-Feb 2. (Are you jealous yet?)

In the past, we've done several break-out sessions, presented a Virtual Tour of our school, and attended a Demonstration Model School mini-conference. We return to The Creek to share the news of what we've learned. One year all the rage was their Using Rubrics to Improve Student Writing after we participated in a session by Sally Hampton. We now have copies for every teacher in the building. We use it to analyze student work against a rubric, compare our student work to the sample pieces, and to write organized teacher commentary for Standards-based Bulletin Boards. One year we discovered a math intervention program, Math Navigator, after attending a session by Phil Daro, that we swiftly put in place to further increase our math scores. Now, our special education students and our regular education students with gaps in math skills and concepts or misconceptions built in earlier grades get a much needed and focused safety net. This module delivered safety net is a must have in every building with struggling math students and compliments a core math curriculum.

This year, we are taking a larger group, about ten teachers, and instead of waiting for us to come back and share, we are going to blog and twitter live from the conference. By logging onto our Live from the Creek blog, teachers will be able to get live access to our session topics, summaries, and thoughts. We are hoping to also UStream or Skype our own presentations so our teachers can log on and watch live or go back to the recorded session from home in the evening. Cross your fingers that we have a good internet connection!

In addition to our Virtual Tour which has turned high tech thanks to our techie models, Melanie Holtsman and Eric Blair, CCE teachers will be delivering sessions on technology integration in science, vocabulary developed units within a PLC, standards-based bulletin boards, Math Navigator, and our own dayle timmons, special education teacher and primary literacy coach, will be delivering the closing keynote. Our principal, Susan Phillips, will also be sitting in on a panel discussion. We can't wait to interact with our America's Choice peers.

We are hoping that although we cannot take all of our K-5 teachers (we have so many!) , they will be a virtual part of our journey this year. We can't wait to get started!

The Zealous Learner

I may not be Joe Paterno or Vince Lombardi, but I am an instructional coach on a mission. My mission is that of a learner, the most important hat I wear. My team expects me to be knowledgeable, to be on the cutting edge, and to be able to deliver the most up-to-date and valuable information. In other words, at least one step ahead of them! That is not always easy in my community of learners and leaders.

The past several weeks, I’ve participated in many activities to be a Learning Leader. I’ve gone to state conferences, attended local meetings, read a literacy text, participated in collegial conversations, and been totally involved in the world of on-line conferences.

State Math Conference
I traveled to Orlando to attend and present at FCTM, Florida Council of Teachers of Mathematics. While participating I attended two valuable sessions presented by the Florida Department of Education. The first was a presentation by Rob Schoent and Todd Clark from the Math Department on the newly adopted mathematics standards. To see their Power Point presentation visit http://www.fldoestem.org/peg170.aspx , scroll down to Oct 11-12 FCTM Power Point presentation. The second was hosted by Steve Ash of the Testing Department on the implications to FCAT based on the new standards. To view their Power Point visit the above page and click on Oct 12 FCTM Presentation.

I immediately shared my new learning with the two math coaches in my building. They are in the process of creating a plan to share the new information during their Teacher Meetings and WOW Days.

District Math Council
I went to DEMC, Duval Elementary Math Council, with six other Chets’ Teachers. The presenter was James Williams from America’s Choice. His message was about students’ misconceptions in mathematics, and how teachers can help resolve misconceptions. He presented a well researched and written intervention program, Mathematics Navigator, which targets students’ misconceptions. Chets has been using the program for the past two years and the results have been unprecedented.

Reading
I’ve been reading, Significant Studies for Second Grade by Karen Ruzzo and Mary Anne Sacco who teach at the Manhattan New School. The Second Grade Pacing Guide needs infused with new ideas and resources so I’ve turned to this book to help. I’ve found it so user friendly that I now have it on order for the whole 2nd grade ELA team. We will begin a book study as soon as it gets here. The plan is to implement the non-fiction part of the text after the first of the year followed by the dialogue lessons in early February. I’ll keep you posted about student work and performance based on this implementation.

At the same time I’m reading this text, I’m in search of what I’ll read next. I think I’ll turn to Stephanie Parsons. The 1st Grade Team has recommended Second Grade Writers which is hot off the press, because they’ve used the First Grade Writers in their Pacing Guide for several years.

Collegial Conversation
My most valuable learning opportunity comes at the hands of my talented and knowledgeable literacy colleagues, dayle and Melanie. Like a sponge, I try to absorb their every word and walk away with a wealth of information. In the past two weeks alone, they have opened my eyes to the world of blogging, twittering, social bookmarking, and on-line conferences. Their passion is contagious and I will forever be grateful!

K-12 On-Line Conference
Because of the collegial dialogue, I’ve spent countless hours listening to keynotes and presentations, and reading comments and blogs. I am astonished that sitting in the comfort of my own home, I can attend an educational conference. I hear and see the information first hand and simply send a link to my team for them to see the same message I’ve received. This has opened my eyes to a whole new world and I am ecstatic!

The learner in me is glowing!